Wheeled can carrier of reinforced tubular material



April 27, 1965 v. L. OTT ETAL WHEELED CAN CARRIER OF REINFORCED TUBULARMATERIAL Filed DeC. 27, 1962 INVENTORS \IIVHAM L. 01-1 5* JOHN BxznucuBEQMANAR ATTORNEYS HUI United States Patent C) 3,180,507 WHEELED CANCARRIER F REINFORQED TUBULAR MATERIAL Vivian L. Ott, 6100 Sylvan Ave.,Norfoiir, Va., and John Branch Seaman, In, 815 Church St., Ahoskie, N.C.Fiied Dec. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 247,591 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-384) Thisinvention relates to a wheeled carrier device for handling buckets andcans.

The handling of buckets and cans in and around a home is a chore whichhas to be performed quite frequently and is one which many times fallsto the lot of the housewife and accordingly the provision of alightweight easily manipulated carrier device is very desirable and thepresent invention has for its primary object to provide a wheeledcarrier device by means of which cans and buckets can be easily andquickly picked up and moved from one place to another as required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight wheeled cancarrier designed in a novel manner whereby a can, either of the typehaving a bail handle or of the type having a handle pivotally attachedto a side of the can, may be easily elevated from the ground andplacedupon a supporting part of the carrier by manipulation of thecarrier itself and without requiring the manual lifting of the can fromthe ground to attach it to or mount it on the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Wheeled can carrier ofthe character described which may be constructed of relativelylightweight tubular material, such as aluminum, for example, and whichis provided with novel reinforcement means in certain portions thereofto give rigidity and strength to those portions where weight and/orstrain would be concentrated in the use of the carrier.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wheeled cancarrier embodying a substantially triangular frame portion wherein oneside of such frame portion consists of a wheel carrying axle, with meanscarried by a handle, attached to the upwardly directed apex portion ofsuch frame portion, whereby a can may be elevated to a position where itcan be caused to rest upon the axle and supported thereby while thecarrier and the can are moved.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a construction ofthe character described in the preceding paragraph, with novelreinforced rest means in the upper part or apex portion of the frameportion of the carrier against which the top part or top edge of a canmay rest when such can has been elevated to a position where the bottompart is supported upon the axle of the carrier.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefoliowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of the specification and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the can carrier of the presentinvention showing the same with a can and in a position ready to pick upor lift the can from the ground by the bail of the can.

FIG. 2 is a view of the carrier in side elevation and in full lines,illustrating a first position of the carrier preparatory to picking up acan by a bail handle, and showing, in broken lines, the position of thecarrier when the can has been elevated onto the axle thereof and isready for travel.

FIG. 3 is a view in top plan of the carrier and the can when the can isin elevated position as it is shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially onthe line 44 of FIG 2, and illustrating the reinforcing insert and cansupport tongue at the bottom of the handle bar and the. reinforcementsin the side portions of the frame, with parts of the latterreinforcements being in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 2and illustrating the reinforcing insert at the bottom end of one leg ofthe triangular frame and showing the movement limiting collar on theaxle.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that thecarrier comprises the frame or body portion which is generallydesignated 10 and to which the hereinafter described supporting Wheelsare attached, and the handle which is generally designated 12.

The frame forming the body portion 10 comprises the two tubular sidemembers 14 and the horizontal bottom member 16. These members 14 and 16when in assembled relation form a substantially triangular structure asshown, the bottom member 16 forming the base of the triangle and the legmembers 14 converging upwardly to form the apex of the triangle wherethey are joined together in the manner about to be described.

The bottom portion of the frame body not only constitutes the base ofthe frame but also constitutes the axle for the carrier upon which thesupporting wheels 18 are mounted.

The axle forming base of the frame preferably is in the form of a solidbar as illustrated at 16 in FIG. 1 and thewheels 18 have the hubportions 20, each of which has an end of the bar forming the axle baseofthe frame, extended therethrough and the ends of the axle have hub capmembers 22 thereon which retain the wheels against separation ordetachment from the axle.

As hereinbefore stated an object of the invention is to provide alightweight but strong and sturdy wheeled can carrier. The legs 14 ofthe body frame and also the handle 12 are therefore formed of suitablelightweight tubular material such as aluminum, for example. In order tostrengthen the tubular material reinforcing inserts are placed thereinand each of the upwardly converging side members or legs 14 of the frame10 accordingly has positioned in the lower end thereof a tubularreinforcement such as that illustrated in FIG. 5 and designated 24. Thelower end of each leg 14 is compressed or flattened as indicated at 26and the lower end of the tubular insert 24 is likewise flattened asshown and this flattened lower end portion of the leg is angled inwardlyslightly with respect to the major portion of the leg so that it willassume a substantially vertical position in use and it is also providedwith a suitable bearing opening 28 through which an end of the axleportion '16 of the body frame extends. This terminal lower end portionof each leg 14 is disposed, as shown, upon the inner side of theadjacent wheel 18 and a collar 36 is positioned on the axle upon theinner side of the flattened terminal portion of the leg, where it issecured against movement in a suitable manner as, for example, by theemployment of a set screw 32. Thus while the axle portion 16 may be freeto turn in the bearing opening 28 and in the hub 20 of the wheel itslongitudinal or axial movement will be limited between the cap 22 whichis fixedly attached to the end of the axle portion and the collar 30.If, due to the weight of a can on the axle portion 16, such portion isheld against rotation then, of course, the wheel 18 at each end of theaxle portion will be free to turn on such portion.

The handle 12 comprises a relatively long piece of tubular material 34,having a short portion 36 at one end thereof bent off at an obliqueangle and positioned within this angled portion 36 is a length ofreinforcing tubular material 38 which extends from the lower end of the3 portion 36 upwardly and into a part of the longer straigh upperportion ofthe handle.

The upper end of each of the frame leg portions 14 also has a length oftubular reinforcing material 40 positioned therein and the upper ends ofthe legs 14 together a with the upper ends'of the reinforcing tubularinserts 4t are Compressed or mashed into a coupling terminus 42 Iwhichis also given a transversely arcuate cross sectional contour toreceive the rounded or curved side of the upper part of the angledportion 36 of'the handle.

. As is also shown each of the coupling termini 42 is angled outwardlywith respect to the leg from which it extends so that it will beparallel with the part of the handle to which it is attached.

The coupling terminals 42 are secured to the angled lower portion 36'ofthe handle member 34 by a nut and bolt coupling 44 as shown in FIG. 4,the bolt passing,

through the terminal portions 42 and through the portion 36 and alsothereinforcing insert 38. Thus while the tubular parts of the structuremay be of relatively light material there is provided in this connectiona strong and rigid structure.

As shown, the upper ends or terminal portions 42 of the upwardlyconvergent legs 14 of the frame body are secured to. the angled-portion3,6 of the handle, ata sub-. stantial distance above the lower endthereof. Thus the major portion of the angular extension 36projectsdownwardly through the apex portion of the triangular frame forming thebody and into the frame and lies in a common plane with the parts 14 and16 of the frame.

The lowerend of the portion 36 of the handle and also the lower end ofthe insert 38 are flattened as indicated the axle and while such a capis preferred, obviously any other suitable type of cap may be provided.

It will also be apparent that in addition to being strongly reinforcedat the lower ends of the legs 14 and at the apex portion ofthe frame, bytlie tubular inserts, the

cuved or arcuate formation of the terminals 42, which receive betweenthem the circular portion of the handle, form with the handle, aconnection which will remain rigid and cannot turn on the coupling bolts44.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the presentembodimentis therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scopeof the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by thede-, scription preceding them, and all changes that fall within themates and bounds of the claims or that form their function as well asconjointly cooperative equivalents, are

therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

We claim: i a a 1. A can carrier comprising a substantially triangularframe and an elongate handle bar, said frame including an elongatehorizontal bottom part forming an axle and elongate side parts extendingin upwardly convergent relaa at 46. and the major width of thisflattened portion ex- 7 tends across the width of the frameor parallelwith the plane in. which the side members 14 of the frame lie.

This flattened terminal lower end ofthe portion 36 provides a restagainst which the top edge of a supported 7 can bears when the latter islifted by the carrier, as illusf trated in broken lines in FIG. 2. V

In the part: of the handle which is, reinforced by the upper end of thereinforcement .38 a hook member 48 is secured in a suitable manner as bymeans of a screw or bolt 50. to, the front or forward side of thecarrier, the

hook member; having the billportion 52 for engaging: a .bail handle on abucket or any othertype of can t handle. t r

' As willbe, apparent from the illustration, the'front side of the .cancarrier, to which, the hook member 48 is attached, is the. side oppositefrom the obtuse angle formed by the. joined handle and body frame partsof the carrier or, in other Words, the outside angle formed by theconnected parts. Thus when the handle portion 12 of the tion from thebottom part, said handle bar having a short angulated lower end portionpositioned between and extending downwardly beyond the upper ends ofsaid convergent side parts,vmeans securing said upper ends of said sideparts to opposite sides of said angulated portion at a substantialdistance above the lower end of the latter, said angulated portion lyingin a common plane, with said bottom and side parts of the frame, a hooksecured to the handle bar above said angulated portion and on the. sideof the handle bar remote from the.

angulated portion, wheels mounted on said axle forming bottom part ofthe frame, means forming a hand grip handle bar and extending a shortdistance abovesaid carrier is vertical the body portion or frame 10 willbe angled downwardly and rearwardly or toward the person operating thecarrier. 7 t

In order to facilitate. gripping the upper end of the upon the upper endof the handle bar, areinforcing and stiffening tubular insert in theangulated portion of the angulated portion'and a reinforcing andstifiening tubular insertin the upper end portion of each of said sideparts.

of the frame, the said upper ends of the side parts and the tubularinserts therein being compressed to form a stifi terminus and being oftransversely arcuate contour to receive the adjacent side'of theangulated portion of 7 the bar, the said means securing the upper endsof, said handle portion, a suitable hand grip 54 is fixed to the '1upper end of the tube 34 which forms the handle portion or handle bar.

It will be readily apparent from the illustration of the side parts toopposite sides of the angulated portion of the bar'compris'ing a nut andbolt means with the bolt. passing through said compressed ends of theside parts a and the interposed portion of thetbar, and the lower endinvention when a can, such as that designated 56, having a bail handle58, is to be picked up, the handle portion 12' of the carrier is swungby the operator forwardly'or away from him to swing the hook member 48downwardly to an elevation where the bail 58 can be engaged thereover.The operator then reversely swings the handle to elevate the hook and inso doing the can will be picked up by the hook from the surface of theground and may be brought to rest upon the horizontal axle portion 16 iof the. body frame. Thus the lower part of the can will lie partlywithin the triangle of the frame and the top edge of the can at the backthereof will rest against the depending tongue-like portion 46. I

It will be seen from the illustration of the can carrier that, inaddition to providing a strongstructure of rela of the .angulatedportion and the tubular insert therein being compressed and flattenedand the major width of said flattened part lying in and parallel. withsaid plane and providing a rest or support'for'a can when the latter isattached by a handle to the hook and is resting upon said axleforming'bottom part.

'2. A wheeled carrier for lifting and transporting a can body having apivoted bail and having a predetermined combined body and fraised bailheight, and the carrier comprising an axle, wheels on the ends of theaxle, a pair of straight tubular members each having a short flattenedobtusely angled end portion having a bearing aperture therein throughwhich an end of the axle extends on the 'inner side of a wheel, thetubular members extending in convergent relation away from the axle andhaving their opposite ends terminating in end portions obtusely angledoppositely'to the first named endportions whereby the end portions ofeach member are approximately parallel, the second named end portionsbeing in spaced opposed relation, an elongate handle member having arelatively long obtusely angled lower end portion interposed in thespace between said approximately parallel end portions of the tubularmembers, closely adjacent to the bend of the angle whereby a majorportion of said angled lower end portion extends into the space betweensaid tubular mem hers toward the axle and lies in a common plane withthe tubular members, means rigidly securing together said angled lowerend portion of the handle and the adjacent end portions of the tubularmembers, and a bail engaging hook secured to the handle member adjacentto and above the bend between the handle and the said lower end portionthereof and on the side of the handle away from the inside of the bend,and the distance between the hook and the axle being such with respectto the said combined body and raised bail height that such receptaclemay be lifted and swung in between the axle engaging ends of saidtubular members to rest upon the axle when the handle is swung from avertical position away from the can body when the latter is resting onthe ground with the bail thereof engaged on said hook.

Reterences (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,151,810 8/15Moore.

1,187,939 6/16 Taylor 280-4727 1,363,499 12/20 Davis 214-373 1,438,33412/22 Sabin 214384 1,517,901 12/24 Gill 214--3S4 2,251,591 8/41 Looney214-384 2,417,644 3 47 Graham 214-6 84 2,561,710 7/51 Pawsat.

2,881,017 4/59 Millar.

3,108,702 10/63 Chesney 214-375 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

2. A WHEELED CARRIER FOR LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING A CAN BODY HAVING A PIVOTED BAIL AND HAVING A PREDETERMINED COMBINED BODY AND RAISED BAIL HEIGHT, AND THE CARRIER COMPRISING AN AXLE, WHEEELS ON THE ENDS OF THE AXLE, A PAIR OF STRAIGHT TUBULAR MEMBERS EACH HAVING A SHORT FLATTENED OBTUSELY ANGLED END PORTION HAVING A BEARING APERTURE THEREIN THROUGH WHICH AN END OF THE AXLE EXTENDS ON THE INNER SIDE OF A WHEEL, THE TUBULAR MEMBERS EXTENDING IN CONVERGENT RELATION AWAY FROM THE AXLE AND HAVING THEIR OPPOSITELY ENDS TERMINATING IN END PORTIONS OBTUSELY ANGLED OPPOSITELY TO THE FIRST NAMED END PORTIONS WHEREBY THE END PORTIONS OF EACH MEMBER ARE APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL, THE SECOND NAMED END PORTIONS BEING IN SPACED OPPOSED RELATION, AN ELONGATE HANDLE MEMBER HAVING A RELATIVELY LONG OBTUSELY ANGLED LOWER END PORTION INTERPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL END PORTIONS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE BEND OF THE ANGLE WHEREBY A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID ANGLED LOWER END PORTION EXTENDS INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS TOWARD THE AXLS AND LIES IN A COMMON PLANE WITH THE TUBULAR MEMBER, MEANS RIGIDLY SECURING TOGETHER SAID ANGLED LOWER END PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND THE ADJACENT FGI-01 END PORTIONS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, AND A BAIL ENGAGING HOOK SECURED TO THE HANDLE MEMBER ADJACENT TO AND ABOE THE BEND BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND THE SAID LOWER END PORTION THEREOF AND ON THE SIDE OF THE HANDLE AWAY FROM THE INSIDE OF THE BEND, AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE HOOK AND THE AXLE BEING SUCH WITH RESPECT TO THE SAID COMBINED BODY AND RAISED BAIL HEIGHT THAT SUCH RECEPTACLE MAY BE LIFTED AND SWUNG IN BETWEEN THE AXLE ENGAGING ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS TO REST UPON THE AXLE WHEN THE HANDLE IS SWUNG FROM A VERTICAL POSITION AWAY FROM THE CAN BODY WHEN THE LATTER IS RESTING ON THE GROUND WITH THE BAIL THEREOF ENGAGEDR ON SAID HOOK. 